All The Horror, All The Time!! DirecTV Launches Channel 257, CHILLER, Today!! How-howllllll!!

I am – Hercules!!
You've been promised a horror channel for a very long time, and it’s finally here, right now, on DirecTV’s channel 257.
Look! Press release!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CHILLER IS FULL OF THRILLS AND CHILLS WHEN IT DEBUTS ON MARCH 1ST
New Horror/Thriller Channel Launches With Legendary Television Series And Feature Films
Chiller to be Available to More Than 16 Million DIRECTV Subscribers on Channel 257
BURBANK - February 26, 2007 - Chiller, NBC Universal's new channel, screams into its March 1 debut chock-full of horror and thriller television series and feature films ranging from "Tales From The Crypt" and "Twin Peaks" to "The Shining" and "Psycho." Chiller is the only 24/7 entertainment cable channel dedicated to the popular horror genre, and events are planned throughout Chiller's first two months to showcase its programming. As previously announced, Chiller will be available to more than 16 million DIRECTV subscribers and will be located on channel 257.
"We're pleased to be able to offer horror fans an eclectic and fun schedule, beginning with Chiller's debut," said Dan Harrison, Senior Vice President, Emerging Networks, NBC Universal Cable. "We've brought the best horror/thriller television shows together with fan-favorite feature films to create a new entertainment channel solely committed to this eternally popular programming."
Chiller launches on March 1st with a "Tales From The Crypt" marathon beginning at 10am (ET) and 4pm, featuring five hours of the biggest television and film actors including 007 himself, Daniel Craig. The "Crypt" marathon unfolds with Demi Moore at 10am (ET), Teri Hatcher at 10:30am (ET), Patricia Arquette at 11am (ET), Tom Hanks at 11:30am (ET), Kevin Dillon at 12pm (ET), Martin Sheen at 12:30pm (ET), Brooke Shields at 1pm (ET), John Stamos at 1:30pm (ET), Terry O' Quinn at 2pm (ET) and Daniel Craig at 2:30pm (ET).
Jack Nicholson will be front and center on Chiller's inaugural day in one of the best thrillers of all time - "The Shining," which airs commercial free at 9pm (ET) and 11:30pm (ET).
On Friday, March 2nd at 4pm and 8pm (ET), viewers will Thank Chiller It's Friday when they kick back and watch the adventurers of "Friday the 13th: The Series" learn of a bizarre inheritance. They're in for more than they could imagine in the series' first four episodes.
Chiller is proud to be the new home of the legendary "Twin Peaks." Viewers can start at the beginning with the two-hour pilot on Friday, March 2nd at 8pm and Saturday, March 3rd at 12am (ET).
It's March Monster Madness on Sunday nights as fan-favorite monsters take over Chiller. On March 4th, viewers can search with Katharine Ross, Sam Elliott and Roger Daltrey for "The Legacy" at 9pm (ET). Monsters return March 11th as Michael Caine and Katharine Ross battle "The Swarm" at 9pm (ET). Nastassia Kinski is one of the "Cat People" on March 18th at 9pm (ET) while Boris Karloff imagines "Frankenstein, 1970" on March 25th at 9pm (ET).
As a bonus, the hungriest monster of all - "Jaws" -has its Chiller premiere on Saturday, March 24th at 9pm (ET). Earlier that Saturday, the audience can sample a mini-marathon of "Monsters" episodes at 4pm (ET).
It's Run For Your Life! Weekend on March 10th and 11th on Chiller. Bees, aliens, zombie hitchhikers and creatures of the night are everywhere in a weekend event where the chills and thrills are multiplied. It all starts on Saturday, March 10th with "Creepshow II" at 12:00pm (ET), and then moves to the "Village of the Damned" with Christopher Reeve at 2pm (ET). Viewers will need to rest up for Sunday, March 11th when the "Body Snatchers" with Gabrielle Anwar begins at 11:30am (ET) followed by "The Swarm" with Michael Caine at 1:30pm and 9pm (ET).
Chiller is giving horror and thriller fans Frightmares every Friday and Saturday night. The excitement begins with "The Watcher" on Friday, March 2nd at 10 pm (ET) and "Dial M for Murder" on Saturday, March 3rd at 9 pm (ET).
Looking forward to April, fans can expect the Fools Rush In marathon on April 1st when Chiller features delightfully foolish pranksters in "Alfred Hitchcock Presents," "Monsters" and "Tales From The Crypt." Additionally, Chiller will dare viewers to watch Familiar Faces of Feat every Sunday night in April with horror icons Freddy, Chucky, the Crypt Keeper and everyone's favorite - Stephen King!
THE CHILLER FRIGHTMARE - Fridays
PREMIERES:
The Watcher3/2, 10pm (ET)
Psycho (1998)3/9, 9pm (ET)
Twilight Zone: The Movie3/23, 9pm (ET)
ENCORES:
Dial M for Murder3/16, 9pm (ET)
The Haunting3/30, 9pm (ET)
THE CHILLER FRIGHTMARE - Saturdays, beginning at 9pm ET
PREMIERES:
Dial M for Murder3/3
The Haunting3/17
Jaws3/24
ENCORES:
The Watcher3/10
The Shining (Commercial-Free)3/31
Chiller, an NBC Universal Cable channel launching on March 1, 2007, is a new entertainment cable channel dedicated to the popular horror genre, around the clock. Chiller features exclusive horror and thriller programming from "Twin Peaks," "Tales From the Crypt" and "Hitchcock Presents" to "The Shining," "Psycho" and "The Haunting." To learn more, visit: www.chillertv.com. Chiller will offer a digital triple-pack service, which features a standard definition digital channel (SD), hi-definition simulcast channel (HD), and a video-on-demand (VOD) channel offered as a digital bundle. The SD digital channel will be available March 1, 2007, with the VOD and HD offerings available later in 2007.

And I've had Chiller running all day today. Glad to see that this finally mande it to air, particularly after the bozos at the Horror Channel kept breaking promises. There's a TALES FROM THE CRYPT marathon on right now. Can't wait to revisit FRIDAY THE 13TH: THE SERIES and FREDDY'S NIGHTMARES.

It was really cool seeing the pilot episode of "Friday The 13th: The Series" (with Sarah Polley in a great guest-starring role); there's a four-episode "Friday The 13th: The Series" marathon tomorrow on Chiller.
I'm looking forward to seeing "Freddy's Nightmares" and "Monsters" again and I can't wait to see the "Abbott and Costello" monster movies that Chiller will be airing this weekend.

Other than that, yes there are commercials and there is editing but it hasn't been horribly truncating the programming; one particular episode of "Tales From The Crypt" that Chiller aired today had a very gory axe murder.

The only commercials are between the programs, and then it's only for other films they're showing. Everything is uninterrupted and uncut. They also have Monsterama shorts (hosted by Elvira) to bridge large program gaps (very rarely do shows start in between half-hours).
They do tend to be repetetive, rebroadcasting the exact same thing in 12-24 hour blocks, but I rarely can sit and watch TV for that long anyway.
Overall, I love it. It's the channel I've been watching the most since I resubscribed to Dish Network a few weeks ago. It would be nice to have some of the series Chiller is showing, though.

We've had an all horror movie channel called Scream for years. Except it sucks, so much. For every decent flick they play they play 10 terrible ones. Plus, for some reason they play non-horror movies. I saw Cliffhanger and Witness on there once. Talk about branding confusion.

There is not a hint of Casper Van Dien to be found, no lame CGI monsters that look like they were rendered on an NES, or horrible filmed-in-Romania SCI FI Original Movies and as long as Bonnie Hammer's dumb ass stays far, far away, Chiller will be fine.

Chiller should either hire the guy outright, or buy the rights to rebroadcast the Monstervision series that he hosted on TNT. His priceless commentary on some of the best (and worst) horror movies was a memorable part of my childhood viewing.

Hopefully this is one of the new group of channels that's supposed to go "hi-def" this year when Directv finally turns on the satellite they launched LAST year. Hi-def makes even the suckiest things watchable, except for the View.